Higher Education Advising

Higher Education Advisors (HEAs) are central to the EIF program as they prepare urban youth to pursue higher education. Full-time HEAs are each dedicated to one campus and assist students in all college preparatory activities (applications for admission, scholarships, testing, financial aid) to ensure that students are prepared to enter and graduate from college. They serve as college advisors, mentors and role models to EIFstudents whose parents and peers may not understand the value of a formal education or have limited knowledge of what it takes to enter and succeed in college.

In addition to the daily interaction with and guidance to students, HEAs facilitate all student and parent activities throughout the year, such as EIF: G3seminars (described in the next section), college application and SAT/ACT preparatory workshops. HEAs also facilitate EIF’s annual financial aid workshops for EIF parents and students to complete federal and state financial aid applications.

Evidence of Impact

Last year, EIF helped students complete 21,000 college applications where 98% of our seniors were accepted into college. More than 85% applied for financial aid (FAFSA, TASFA & Scholarships) and we received $132.8 million in scholarships.

Meet our EIF HEAs!

Parent Outreach

EIF works directly with parents and guardians to create strong linkages between programmatic efforts, home and school environments. This helps offset the impact of not having a guardian who attended college. HEAs host information sessions throughout the academic year for EIF parents, guardians and family members. Parents are encouraged to contact HEAs as needed for general questions and information about EIF, higher education or about their child's progress. EIF also facilitates "life skills" sessions for parents where topics relevant to academic and college success, such as financial aid, are presented. Parents are encouraged to join their children at any of EIF's activities.

Academic Recognition

EIF hosts one academic recognition events within each high school during the school year to publicly honor and reward student academic achievement in order to create and maintain a culture of learning that will extend beyond high school. Recognition events are held in a similar fashion to a pep rally usually reserved for sports, and provide students with a chance to cheer for and celebrate their peers for their hard work in school. Students who are recognized at events inherently serve as role models to other students.

Recognition Event Activities

Academic Prizes

Certificates, Medals, Graduation cords, etc

Honor Roll Raffles

Student Recognition

Who doesn't like getting rewarded for a job well done-especially when those rewards come in the form of academic tools, new laptop computers and other prizes? Our Academic Recognition events in middle school and high school make getting the grades cool.